"Your performance was truly excellent, Ottar!"
Elise did not hesitate to offer praise, because Ottar truly was talented. However...
He was only "excellent" in the end. Compared to those at the very top, he was still some distance away.
After fighting through the entire battle, Elise looked no different from before.
Meanwhile, Ottar was already the first to begin breathing heavily.
"Huff... huff..."
Unbelievable.
Ottar was Lv6, and the natural gifts of the boar-man race granted him even greater endurance and recovery.
Yet when facing Elise, all of it seemed meaningless.
No matter how hard Ottar tried, he could not land a single hit on Elise. Instead, he himself had suffered many wounds.
When he fought Elise two days ago, it had not been this exhausting. But now...
"Did you... level up?"
Looking at Elise standing there with sword in hand, Ottar asked in confusion.
"I did. Thanks to our battle two days ago as well."
"Thanks to you, I successfully leveled up too!"
"Well? Isn't the change in me obvious?"
Elise lightly spun in place, her golden hair fluttering with the motion.
"Yes. You've become far stronger."
"The current me is no match for you at all."
But Ottar did not care for superficial things. He was a member of the Freya Familia. In his eyes, only Freya was the most important existence.
"You really are an honest man."
Elise could only feel helpless toward someone like Ottar.
Simple, earnest, and possessing absolute loyalty toward Freya.
He could be called the very image of a warrior.
Judging from his way of thinking and personality, he would likely serve at Freya's side forever.
He probably had no intention of finding a partner either. Being able to remain beside Freya was enough for him.
Elise also had no plans to find a partner.
But for someone like Elise, who would not die naturally, such a long journey might become lonely. It might be better to find a companion after all.
"How do you feel, Est?"
Her delicate hand gently stroked the holy sword's blade, and a sharp sensation was immediately transmitted to Elise.
"So this is what steel feels like? How astonishing."
Fortunately, she was not touching the edge directly. Otherwise, she would surely have been injured.
After all, although Est was a new individual separated from the original body, in terms of sheer power she was absolutely no weaker than the original.
And in the world of Elementalists, she had absorbed the power of the six Elemental Lords, becoming the Elemental Sacred Demon Sword.
Then in this world, she had received Falna and become a growth-type weapon.
Even if Est was only Lv1 now, her strength was still not far below that of first-tier adventurers.
Not to mention that Elise, bound to her by blood contract, was her wielder. Together, they produced not the effect of one plus one equaling two, but one plus one equaling twelve.
That was why Elise had previously been able to fight Ottar evenly.
But that "evenly matched" balance had shattered the moment Elise leveled up.
And not just any level up, but one achieved after all attributes had reached 1999.
How was Ottar supposed to fight that?
Lv2 Elise had clearly surpassed what Ottar could withstand. If he wished to restore that balance, Ottar would have to reach Lv7.
Otherwise, things would remain as they were now.
Ottar was drenched in sweat, while Elise still looked relaxed and carefree, even having enough spare strength to protect the surrounding environment.
It was clear just how wide the gap between them had become.
Thud!
With a heavy sound, Ottar's massive body collapsed to the ground and fell into a deep sleep.
He had truly exhausted himself in battle against Elise and collapsed from fatigue. To defeat Ottar, famed for his endurance, in such a manner made Elise one of a kind.
She quietly walked to Ottar's side and used both her own power and Est's abilities.
Purification and healing.
The blood and wounds covering Ottar gradually vanished beneath the healing holy light. His appearance changed from a blood-soaked warrior back into a sturdy boar-man giant.
The two goddesses seated on the high platform both nodded repeatedly at the sight.
"Mysterious, gentle, and powerful..."
I want her so badly.
Freya naturally did not dare say the latter words aloud in front of Astraea. Otherwise, the already wary Astraea would become even more guarded.
For now, she had to endure.
Watching the battle as part of the transaction was merely to satisfy her cravings a little.
Freya rubbed her thighs somewhat unnaturally. Then she noticed the abnormality in herself.
A little... had leaked...
She would deal with it later.
"Since it's already over, then let us meet again next week," Astraea said as she rose to her feet and looked toward Freya. "I quite enjoyed this tea party, Freya."
"Being able to watch the children battle has satisfied me as well," Freya replied smoothly. "I look forward to the next tea party. I hope the battle then will be even more exciting."
This week had ended, but their transaction had only temporarily paused. Seven days later, it would continue once more.
That was the content of the bargain between the goddesses.
Every week, there would be one such day when Elise came to the Freya Familia and fought the fierce Ottar once.
From morning until night, an intense battle without sleep or rest.
Thus, both sides could gain tremendous improvement from this combat.
As for how long this arrangement would continue?
Perhaps forever.
Provided that...
Astraea and Freya did not fall out with each other.
...
"As expected, Ottar's growth through battling Elise is remarkable."
After bidding farewell to Astraea and Elise, Freya quietly ordered others to carry the unconscious Ottar back to bed. She then sat upon Ottar's sturdy back and used her divine blood to inspect his status.
The result was exactly as she had expected.
Compared to before, Ottar's growth had increased severalfold.
If this continued, he might truly have a chance to break through the limits of Lv7. At that point, the fame of the Freya Familia would rise even higher.
They would certainly suppress Loki by another margin.
As for her relationship with Loki, they were both partners and rivals, with perhaps a trace of troublesome friendship mixed in. So even if Freya pressed Loki down a little, that was hardly a problem.
Unless their Familias entered full-scale war, such minor contests would not stir even the slightest ripple.
After checking Ottar's status, Freya no longer paid attention to the sleeping boar-man. Instead, she walked straight to her private chambers, slowly removed her outer garments, and stepped into the bath reserved solely for herself.
Now, Freya needed to deal with the issue with her body...
And with the desire steadily growing within her.
Before her plans regarding Elise could begin, absolutely no one could be allowed to know.